How To Save A Life
by danville.blakeroan
Summary: When a gunman opens fire in a courtroom, A.D.A Rafael Barba reflets on his life and the people who are important to him. TEAMfic (with SLIGHT Barba/Rollins) / Rated T for some swears.
1. Chapter 1

HI so i spent most of my finals week watching Law &amp; Order: SVU and semi-studying. This story literally popped into my head while i procrastinated studying for anthropology :3

ADA Rafael Barba has become my new favorite character. And because some people perceive him to be cold and emotionless, this fic really made me sit and think. And I decided that I just had to write it ;D

So, I hope y'all enjoy (and yes, the first chapter is a bit short).

ALSO I DON'T KNOW SPANISH (but i'm gunna learn) &amp; i used Google Translate for some sentences so please don't kill me if i got anything wrong  
^ i tried to put in some swears in spanish

from what i gathered, _qué chingados _means _what the f*ck _but i could be wrong (and if i am, please tell me!)

* * *

**[Rafael's POV]**

If you asked me this morning when I got out of bed if I'd be staring into the barrel of a gun today, I'd say that it was a possibility, but probably wouldn't happen.

Hell, the chances of me getting hit by a cab were higher.

So when, five hours later, I found himself stuck in a courtroom with a gun-wielding loco criminal, I mentally laughed at myself.

_oh, the irony, Rafael._ _You put away criminals for a living. And, today, you just might die at the hands of one_

It was supposed to be a simple case. Another attorney in the office had a family emergency and, because she asked, I took on the case for her.

_this is what you get for playing nice, Rafael. Mama always told you to be cautious and simplemente había que ir ser el chico bueno_

When the hearing started, the accused sat in silence. His head was down, averting eye contact, with his hands in his lap. Just as the judge banged his gavel, all hell broke loose.

Five shots were fired; three took out the security guards standing at the entrance, one took out the public defender, and the last one….

_i don't know where the last goddamn bullet went… where in the hell….. _

Someone pushed me down; out of the line of fire, I presume.

_qué chingados why is my side hurting_


	2. Chapter 2

**I swear I write when I decide to procrastinate. I have an essay due tomorrow evening, and here I am... Welp.**

**I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. I guess it's been awhile since I last updated, so I don't exactly remember what plot-line I was aiming towards (oops my bad). But this chapter just naturally flowed through my fingertips, so here y'all go.**

**PS. I'm seriously starting to ship Rollins/Barba #SorryNotSorry **

**PPS. I AM SO EXCITED FOR SEASON 17**

**PPPS. Sorry this chapter's so short LOL i should probably go write my essay now... It's a music essay and I can choose any song to analyze. So, naturally, I chose an Ed Sheeran song. But the analyzing part is going to kill me oh my god kill me now ok i'll stop ranting now kthanxbye**

* * *

**[Amanda's POV]**

_which fucking courtroom did Barba say he was in?_

I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text.

"Barba which room are you in?"

"7. Almost done. Give me a sec." was his reply.

It was rare that Barba and I were free at the same time to go and grab a bite to eat. But, since Barba was still technically considered the "rookie" of SVU, I wanted to do my best to make him more comfortable with the SVU squad.

_plus it doesn't hurt that he looks good in a suit and he's a hell of a good lawyer_

I started to stroll down the hallway, scrolling through my un-read emails.

The gunshots were so loud that I jumped, and nearly dropped my phone in the process.

_what in the fuck_

I grabbed the nearest cop.

"Hey HEY what the fuck is going on?"

"Courtroom 7. Some guy…. Some guy is shooting. Was shooting. I don't know." the poor cop rambled, before running off to usher other civilians to safety.

"Courtroom 7…." I muttered.

Then it hit me.

_oh god Barba _

I hit 3 on my phone.

"Liv, there's been a shooting at the courthouse. Barba… I think he's…. I DON'T KNOW JUST GET TO THE COURTHOUSE NOW!"

_please don't let him be hurt_

Running towards the room was like a fish trying to swim upstream. People kept getting in my damn way. I was inches away from the courtroom door when I felt someone grab me from behind.

"HEY!"

"Ma'am, you can't go in there!"

"The hell I can't. My friend is in there! MOVE!" I yelled while frantically trying to get out of the officer's grip.

_not today not today not today_

"You can't go in there. Not yet. We have hostage negotiators and S.W.A.T. teams on the way. We'll get your friend out." the cop assured.

My legs felt like jell-o, and I had to grip the wall to stay upright when he released his grip. It literally felt like forever until my team showed up.

"He's…. Barba's in there." I whispered to Olivia.

"I know." she sighed.

The hostage negotiators and the S.W.A.T. team set up some laptops in another room farther away. They used their techno-god skills and hacked into the security cameras. But really, I wish I hadn't looked.

_oh god no please no_


End file.
